Relationship between primates and their environment research paper

Introduction

A primate is any member that belongs to the group of apes, monkeys and humans. Primates are warm-blooded mammals that unlike most of the groups of living organisms such as reptiles, primates have maternal instincts, and they take care of their young ones from birth. Primates are not egg laying organisms instead; they undergo fertilization and the embryological development of the foetus. Primates share a very close relationship genetically and are even used to explain the theory of evolution. Scientists say that apes share 98 percent of the genetic print with humans and thus they are the closest living relatives to humans. Primates exhibit characteristics that show that they are intelligent.
Two types of primates are studied to compare their relationship with their respective ecologies. Baboons are some of the world’s old and largest monkeys that are found in Africa and Arabia. They are terrestrial creatures that are found in semi-arid areas, hills across Africa, open savannah and the open woodlands. They are mostly herbivorous though they are omnivorous. Unlike other monkeys, the baboons have no tail, but they can still move from one tree to another, and they also sleep on trees. Baboons are opportunistic eaters and hence can be very aggressive and distractive creatures in that they can attack human crops and dwellings. The life expectancy of a baboon in the wild is 30 years though they can live up to 45 years (Stanford et al. 2013). The baboons are prey to various animals such as snakes and humans and so like every other living organism; they have defensive mechanisms to protect them from predators. They defend themselves by making gestures, flashing their eyelids out, chasing the intruder and showing off their teeth by yawning. Just like the other primates, baboons have the ability to read which is because of possessing orthographic skills. Most of them live in hierarchal troops of about 50 that vary in sizes. The savannah baboon is mostly in large groups that contain smaller groups of one male to four females. The other species of baboons have a more organised and distinct structure of a hierarchy of dominance that is strict (Walden, 2009).
Chimpanzees are apes that are known to be the closest living relative of a man sharing more than 98 percent of genetic material. They live mostly in the rain forest, grasslands and woodlands in Africa. They are omnivorous animals that feed mostly on fruit and plant, and they have a hunting troop culture where the troops are led by the alpha males and comprise of beta males. They live in communities that comprise of large multi-male and multi-female social groups. The position of an alpha male chimp in the community is determined by the influence he has on the others. It is not dependant on size or the strength but the most manipulative male that is political. The female also has a hierarchy in which a young female can inherit a high rank from the mother. The mothers built nest for resting in at night, and they pass on the skill to their young ones. The chimps are intelligent in that they can make tools and use them to get food and for social displays. They can be manipulative, capable of deception and can learn the numerical sequence and the concept of numbers (Wrangham, 1996). Chimps are territorial when the resources are limited hence defendable, and if not, they fight over females.

Conclusion

Primates exhibit the same characteristics in their activities, social life and eating habits. They are known to be possessive hence making them terrestrial creatures. Primates have distinct and organised social hierarchies that commands respect and hence discipline among them. All primates are omnivorous and feed on both plants and animals. Just like any other creature, the primates also have predators, and hence they have adaptive characteristics to help them in their survival. Scientists have also discovered that personality is a key factor in the helping the primates to adapt, survive and thrive (Norton, 2012).

References

Norton, E. (1930, September 12). Survival of the Nicest: Friendly Baboons Live Longest. Wired. com. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www. wired. com/wiredscience/2012/10/nice-baboon-lifespan/
Walden, K. (2009). Baboons. New York: PowerKids Press.
Wrangham, R. W. (1996). Chimpanzee cultures. Cambridge, Mass.: Published by Harvard University Press in cooperation with the Chicago Academy of Sciences.
Stanford, C. B., Allen, J. S., & Antón, S. C. (2013). Exploring biological anthropology: The essentials. Boston: Pearson.